Sweet as Sugar, Tough as Nails
by Nevilla
Summary: I didn't know what to call this, so I put it under general. Tulio and Miguel are back in Spain and only trouble awaits(as always)
1. Trouble is what we live for

Sweet as Sugar, Tough as Nails  
  
Spain hasn't changed a bit at all. It's still the same as it always was. Miguel and I are still just faces in the crowd, scrounging for food, got to live to eat, got to steal to eat, you know the process.   
I heard Cortez gave up and is currently on his way back to Spain. Besides that, nothing much has changed. We still play with loaded dice in the back alley, and we still somehow are together, that being a surreal fact, as Miguel and I are complete opposites.  
Chel left me, of course. A couple of days in Spain with me, and she was gone quicker than you can say shitacky mushroom. It was a shock for a while, but as I look back on it now, it all makes sense. I mean, we're so alike, we couldn't put up with one another. But then, we're sort of like a potato and salt. Without one, you can't have the other. Or something like that, anyway.  
But, let's stop thinking backwards and bring up to present day. Miguel and I had just stolen a watermelon from a nearby stand and were in the process of hiding and digesting it. It had been from some fat guy's stand. Fat people tend to not run after you.  
But, we had been quite wrong. Apparently, he had a young son. The son and his apparent 'girlfriend' came after us. The man had a sword, so Miguel and myself found it wise to hide in an alleyway, in the shadows.  
"That was good. Perhaps our best scandal." Miguel said, satisfied from our meal of fruit.  
"We could have been caught and put in jail." I commented.  
"But we didn't. And did you see his face when he saw us running off with his watermelon? Priceless."  
"Priceless. What we could have been."   
"Not again. Tulio, there's no use looking back. We have enough problems looking forward."  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
"The only thing I regret is that Chel stole Altivo."  
"I regret a lot, but the most out of everything, I regret Chel taking Altivo's horseshoes, too."  
"Tulio, please."  
"Okay, we'll drop it."  
He sighed, sitting back, "Good."  
I watched him stare out into space, not a sight of a worry line on his face. He disgusts me. I didn't have long to loath, though, because soon I heard someone rounding the corner.  
"Miguel, quick, someone's coming."  
"Good, we can show off the feast we had."  
"No, Miguel, it's the guy's son. It's him. He's coming!"  
"Sure he is, Tulio. If you think you can scare me out of my spot so you can have it, you're wrong."  
"Miguel, get up!" I yanked at his arm, but I was too late. Two voices came from around the corner.  
"Here, take my sword. You can handle them." The son said.  
"Of course I can." Said the confident voice of a young woman. A blade was drawn and then taken.  
Miguel and I watched, mouths open, as she rounded the corner. She held the sword by her side. Her blonde ringlets cascaded down her back and her eyebrows stayed arched, her brow furrowed. Her green eyes danced as if a blazing fire was inside them.  
We stood, almost automatically, as if we knew what was coming. But we were well hidden in the shadows and she still didn't see us. Finally, she was near. I thought she would pass by, but no, she stopped. Her gaze slowly shifted to the shadows, and us.  
"Show yourselves, thieves." She ordered.  
I stepped out and Miguel finally caught on and also stepped out. She squinted at us and her grip on the sword loosened.  
"You are young." She remarked.  
"So are you." Miguel commented. I don't think he's out of the 'god' stage yet. I jabbed him in the ribs.  
"Did you steal from my soon-to-be father in law's stand?"  
"I suppose. That is, if you're talking about the fat guy with the fruit stand." Miguel answered.  
She merely shot him a look of curiousity, perhaps amusement.  
"And you," she looked at me, "I suppose you are the same as he? You helped steal?"  
"Uh-"   
"Of course you did." She answered for me.  
"Aren't you going to arrest us? Because you don't have to if you don't want to." Miguel offered.  
She looked between the two of us, "No. You are poor off as you are. I rarely give gratitude. You will be grateful. Don't let me hear of you two stealing again. You are too young to hang from the gallows." And with that, she turned and left.  
Miguel snapped his eyebrows down, "I think she liked us."  
"Miguel, we could have been killed!"  
"By her?"  
"No, by her soon-to-be-husband-guy-thingy."  
"You worry to much."  
"How many times do you remind me?"  
"Not enough, obviously, because you haven't changed a bit."  
"I wonder why she didn't slit our throats, though." I muttered.  
"I don't know, but she sure is a fine-looking one, isn't she?"  
"Don't go getting any ideas." I warned.  
"I won't-of I can help it."  



	2. The Rooftop

  
  
  
  
  
  
So, with a roll of my eyes and a nod of Miguel's head, we slept right there.  
  
The next morning, Miguel played a card game with some men, gambling of course, as that's all he knows how to do, and came out on the good end of things. So, I went and bought us breakfast, which consisted of cold coffoe and two oranges, nice and ripe. Then, I was returning the coffoe mugs, as I had grabbed them from a nearby windowsill.   
It was a nice day out. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and even I couldn't think of something to worry about. So, I was looking at the sky, swinging the mugs absent-mindedly, when I clashed forehead first into someone.  
"Oy," I looked up and came face to face with the young woman who had almost arrested us yesterday.  
"You!" she hissed, then looked me over, "Were those your mugs?"  
"Well…" I looked down at the shattered mugs on the cobblestone and lied, "They were."  
Her shoulders slumped, "Sorry. You probably really saved for those."  
"Yes, we did." I said, putting my hands on my hips.  
She shot a look at me, "You stole them, didn't you?"  
I sighed, "How'd you know?"  
"I just did. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It's not worth it, anyway."  
"Why-why not?"  
"Because, I don't know, I guess I don't feel like it, either way. I'm bored with life in general at the moment. Spain isn't really a beautiful place."  
"Have you seen the rooftop view?"  
"What?"  
"The rooftop view." I answered, "There's nothing better than eating an apple on someone's roof on a clear night."  
"Really?" she asked, hands over her chest.  
"Really."   
"Perhaps you could show me."  
I opened my mouth. I hadn't expected that, "Uh…well, you see, I-I-"  
"Tonight, then." She nodded, "Meet you, oh, up there?" she acknowledged a rather high, flat roof a little ways off.  
"Uh…" but I didn't get a chance to answer, as then her fiancé called her away.  
"What?"  
"Miguel, I just want to get away for a while. It's nothing personal."  
"Okay…okay." He paused, "Who's the girl?"  
"There's no girl, Miguel. I just need some down time, as you could call it."  
"Fine." He smirked, "Getting sick of me?"  
"Well…"  
"Don't answer that." He smiled.  
"Alright."  
"See you."  
"Uh-huh."  
As soon as I was out, I pulled two apples I had been saving all day out of my vest, polished them, and placed them back, along with those stupid dice.  
I sprinted down the streets and soon reached the building. I climbed high, high up, until I was finally at the top. I wiped my brow, and doubled over to catch my breath, which quickly caught in my chest again.   
She sat with her back to me. I stood up and cleared my throat. She turned smiling. She had a blanket wrapped around her, as it was a bit cold.  
"Bring the apples?" she asked simply.  
I held one out to her. She took it, grinning.  
"What?" I asked.  
"Nothing." She bit into the apple, "So, you always lived in Spain?"  
The thought of El Dorado made me grin, "For the most part."  
"Married?"  
"What do you think?"  
"Oh, sorry." She took another bite, "Why did you steal from my father-in-law's stand?"  
"Needed food."  
"Well, he's not quite my father-in-law. Soon will be, though. My husband's name is Jeck, the guy that was with me. Or he's my soon to be husband, anyway."  
"So you don't have a name?"  
"Well, maybe us keeping this without names will make it more enjoyable."  
"What is 'this'?"  
"Us being on this roof, talking. I'm enjoying it. Jeck's not much of a talker."  
"Well, I can talk for hours." I offered.  
She laughed, "Nice try."  
We talked for about three hours straight, until finally, she realized how Jeck might miss her.  
"I have to go." She stated.  
"Right, then."  
"It's been nice, which, with the way things are in my life, is unexpected." She smiled.  
"Will you be back tomorrow?"  
She paused, "In two days time, yes. In this spot."  
"Right."  
"Well, then, bye." She pecked my cheek.  
"Bye." I whispered, a few minutes after she was gone.  
  



	3. Tulio, you devil

  
  
  
"Breakfast!"  
I looked up sleepily, seeing a smiling Miguel coming toward me with two fish.  
"What do you think of this lot, eh? Got them both for only…mm, free!" he laughed heartily and handed me some fish.  
Later on, when we were done eating, he laid back, but turned towards me, "Hey, why're you so tired looking?"  
"Couldn't sleep?"  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
"Was it that nightmare with the fat monkey playing a cello?"  
"No. And he always plays a trombone, remember?"  
"Oh, right. Just couldn't sleep, then?"  
"Yes, I suppose."  
"Well, it's not like Spain is the city that never sleeps or anything. What could possibly keep you awake?" as he said this, a fat man with a chicken leg began attacking the man that sells fruits on the corner with it behind Miguel.  
"Right, definitely not an interesting place." I nodded, watching the fat guy.  
That night, I snuck out once more, even though I was quite tired. I knew she would be there, expecting me. And she was. There, with her usual blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her hair falling down behind her.  
She turned, "Ah, you came."  
"Yes. Here." I handed her an orange and kept one for myself. We sat down.  
We sat in silence for a moment, peeling our oranges. Finally, she spoke.  
"I have a question."  
"Alright, shoot."  
"How did you become a guy on the streets?"  
"Life didn't work out for me."  
"Why not?"  
"Because it gave me some luck and I chucked it out the window."  
"Why?"  
"Confidential."  
"Why?"  
"Because."  
"Because why?"  
"Just because!"  
"Come on, tell me."  
"Well, I had the chance to be a millionaire-no, wait- a quillionaire."  
"Why would anyone throw that away?"  
"A series of events."  
"Oh." Silence. I peeled my orange and took a bite.  
Then she asked the question I knew would pop up, the one I dreaded, "Where did you find that much money, anyway?"  
I looked up quickly, "Uh…well-"  
"Where?"  
"El Dorado." I murmured in a hoarse voice.  
"Huh? It sounded like you said-"  
I looked at her. Her mouth fell open.  
She gaped, "You-you really…it's not possible…there's no such…I can't believe…do you know what this means?"  
"Uh, well-"  
"It's means we could be millionaires!"  
"Wha?"  
"That's right! Just show me the map and we'll go back!"  
"The map?"  
"Yeah, you do have a map, don't cha?"  
"I did." I rubbed the back of my neck.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I kinda...tore the map…in two."  
She stared at me for minute, "You WHAT?? Why…How could anyone be that stupid???"  
"It seemed like a good thing to do at the time. I was making a statement."  
"A statement? You mental reject!"  
"Hey, now! Calm down!"  
"I won't calm down! I'll be as furious as I won't to and I'll-" she looked at me, then sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't act in such ways."  
"Forget it. I gotta go."  
"Oh." She watched me climb over the railing, "Bye."  
"Bye."  
She paused, "Will I ever see you again?"  
I looked down, "No. No, I don't think we should do this."  
"Why not?"  
"Well, besides your psychotic behavior and anger issues, plus the fact you're engaged to a very rich and may I mention strong man, I don't think this is going to work."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, it's a little weird isn't it?" I hoasted myself back over, "I mean, meeting a guy off the streets on the top of a building every night to eat an orange and talk is a little out of the ordinary, don't you think?"  
"No, not really. I think it's just unique."  
"Unique. You think it's unique?"  
"Yeah." She nodded.  
I looked at her, "I better go."  
She watched me climb, "So…I'll never see you again?"  
"Well, on the streets."  
"No, I mean…you know…we'll never talk?"  
"Righto."  
"Well," I could no longer see her face, "Good-bye, then."  
"Uh-huh."  
  



End file.
